Michael Wardian Runs a 2:59:49 for 50K on a Treadmill
The 41-year-old broke his own world record.
Michael Wardian—known for pushing the limits of running achievement almost weekly—accomplished yet another incredible feat on Tuesday.
The Hoka One One runner broke his own world record for running 50K (about 31 miles) on a treadmill. He finished in 2:59:49, shaving about four minutes off his previous mark and hitting his goal of breaking 3 hours.
Wardian accomplished the feat at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, Calif., during the Hoka One One global sales meeting. Wardian ran a 5:47 pace and finished surrounded by a cheering crowd inside a hotel banquet room.
It’s yet another milestone for one of the most interesting runners in the sport. Wardian, 41, first tried for the 50K treadmill record in March, running a 3:06:24 on a cruise ship and believing he got the record. He found out later that day that he just missed it. About 30 hours after his first attempt, he tried again and succeeded, running 3:03:56—a mark that stood until Tuesday.
Wardian, a serial racer, finished 54 races in 2014, including 11 marathons and 18 ultramarathons. In between his world-record 50K treadmill runs, he ran the Lake Sonoma 50 Mile, the Boston Marathon and the Big Sur Marathon, among other races. He’s previously held world records for the fastest marathon on a treadmill, the fastest marathon while pushing a jogging stroller, and fastest marathon on an indoor 200-meter track. He’s also qualified for three U.S. Olympic Trials marathons and has a personal best of 2:17:49 for the distance.